Arsenal

[Dude Ranch]

I think you are trying to rewrite history - with both Ade and Toure you would have been much much closer to winning some trophies. These two players at least had heart

Adebayor had heart for a season, trying to walk in Thierry's footsteps. Toure initially plugged a gap no-one expected him to plug but was soon found out IMO. Our proposed history and yours are the same - fictional. Except we probably know a bit more about it, naturally. By the nature of us being Arsenal fans and you not . Of course, had we invested the money in new and better players things could be different but we, sometimes painfully, try to live within our means rather than just splash it about regardless of our debt.

[The Grand Pursuivant]

I think you are trying to rewrite history - with both Ade and Toure you would have been much much closer to winning some trophies. These two players at least had heart

Adebayor had heart? Oh my lol.

[KRP]

Toure was one of my favourite players until he got selfish. And by selfish, I mean: malaria.

[Dude Ranch]

Adebayor had heart? Oh my lol.

He did run his bollocks off for season or so. He really impressed, even the massive early doubters round where we sat saw the change. Then he got greedy and stupid and lazy and all that and hopefully he'll see that what he did was bonkers. You'd like top think that the penny will drop at some point but all the time the money at the next 'big' Club is so utterly huge and the advice is so selfish and misguided you can't really blame them. They're only footballers, they have absolutely no concept of reality and they seem pretty dim, more or less to a man.

[toythatkills]

He did run his bollocks off for season or so. He really impressed, even the massive early doubters round where we sat saw the change.

There was a period of about three months where he basically carried the entire team on his own, IIRC.

[Sirloin]

Adebayor tends to be really good when he joins and club or when he is playing for a new contract, I thought he was fantastic for the first few months for Man City, but once he had his big contract he stopped trying. So the key is to only ever sign him up to one month contract. Like dangling a carrot in front of a lazy donkey, tempt him forward to the next contract.

[The Grand Pursuivant]

He did run his bollocks off for season or so. He really impressed, even the massive early doubters round where we sat saw the change. Then he got greedy and stupid and lazy and all that and hopefully he'll see that what he did was bonkers. You'd like top think that the penny will drop at some point but all the time the money at the next 'big' Club is so utterly huge and the advice is so selfish and misguided you can't really blame them. They're only footballers, they have absolutely no concept of reality and they seem pretty dim, more or less to a man.

I don't disagree with any of this, but if anything, it proves that the one thing he lacked was heart. Tony Adams had heart. Ian Wright had heart. Fuck, even Roy Keane had heart. Adebayor most certainly did not.

He's from the Ronaldinho school of playing out of his skin until he was in a comfortable enough position to not put the effort in anymore and still guarantee the big bucks. It's more sad than anything. If he'd stayed at Arsenal and played as well as everyone knows he can then he would probably be an Arsenal legend right now.

[Dude Ranch]

If he'd stayed at Arsenal and played as well as everyone knows he can then he would probably be an Arsenal legend right now.

I sometimes think, in my moments of boredom, about Cesc staying for his whole career. That he stays on, resists Barca - the Club he walked away from and made his name away from - and becomes the Arsenal legend. He came, he saw, he led us to trophies. How great would that be? How he'd live in the memory rather than, possibly, being just another Barca player. It won't happen but at least he doesn't seem totally driven by money, as far as we know. He'd deffo get trophies at Barca, but is that the modern, easy route?

[BlinkyBear]

Yer man Gervinho is on the twitter @RealGervinho

He's got the number 9 shirt. Got a feeling about him, think he's gonna be the real deal.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wypv7-IwMY8&feature=youtube_gdata_player

[Rev]

What's happening with Hazard? Was that all A Lie To Get The Other Dude?

[The Fox]

Lille don't want to sell.

[Jonathan_Kerr]

Lille don't want to sell.

Everybody has their price

Pity that we're more like this guy with our money:

[Lucky]

Apparently RVP scored a 'showboat' goal in Malaysia.

Can you see this?

Blocked at work.

Edit: Team against Malaysia XI

Team in full: Szczesny, Gibbs, Jenkinson, Koscielny, Vermaelen, Wilshere, Song, Ramsey, Miyaichi, Walcott, Chamakh

[Dude Ranch]

Miyaichi .

[hercules]

Has Miyaichi gotten his work permit sorted yet or does he have to be loaned out again?

[Dude Ranch]

Wenger has said he'll be part of the squad for this season so I assume that's all sorted out.

[Lucky]

Would be good if he has. TV has been raving about him.

2-0 to us at half time. Ramsey pen & Theo

[Rogue Soul]

Another lovely Vela chip. It's the only way he scores.

[Rev]

I like Vela. I hope he's allowed to play next season.

[carlito]

"allowed"?

Do you mean "improved enough"?

[wev]

I watched the first half of the Malyasia XI - Arsenal match, Miyaichi looked handy and Jenkinson did well for himself I reckon, Ramsey was involved in almost everything too.

[hercules]

Wenger has said he'll be part of the squad for this season so I assume that's all sorted out.

That'd be good, i'm quite excited about him after watching him during his loan last season he looks very talented! I'm hoping vela really has a go this season. He needs a good kick up the arse as for all the talent he may have, he seems pretty lazy.

[Art Vandelay]

Rosicky scores! With a header! Rosicky. Scores.

[Rev]

"allowed"?

Do you mean "improved enough"?

I don't really believe players improve when they're not playing. Wilshere spending all last year training with the squad wouldn't be half the player he is now - if Vela had started 10 games in a row last season I'm sure by the end of them he'd have been justifying them.

Wenger is rubbish at giving players those opportunities - even the Carling Cup chances largely disappeared last season.

[The Fox]

Vela doesn't fit the 4-2-3-1 really. He'd do a lot better in a 4-4-2 variant I think.

[Lucky]

I like Vela, never heard any moaning or complaints from him, plus he's good at arranging parties with hookers involved. Unfortunately though, I just don't think he's good enough.

[SeanR]

Rosicky scores! With a header! Rosicky. Scores.

[toythatkills]

I like Vela, never heard any moaning or complaints from him, plus he's good at arranging parties with hookers involved. Unfortunately though, I just don't think he's good enough.

It seems difficult to make a call like that when pretty much all we see of him is for ten minutes on the left wing every other month.

He's just another one that'll do good things elsewhere having never been given a chance at Arsenal.

[FATEone]

It seems difficult to make a call like that when pretty much all we see of him is for ten minutes on the left wing every other month.

He's just another one that'll do good things elsewhere having never been given a chance at Arsenal.

We'll have him

[Lucky]

It seems difficult to make a call like that when pretty much all we see of him is for ten minutes on the left wing every other month.

He's just another one that'll do good things elsewhere having never been given a chance at Arsenal.

Hasn't shown anything when he was loaned out. Also if there was anything there surely AW would have seen it in training during the time he's been with us.